The Shoes That Won The 2025 New York City Marathon

The 2025 New York City Marathon delivered one of the most thrilling finishes in race history, and one of the most revealing glimpses yet into the ongoing super shoe arms race. Kenya swept both podiums, but behind the national dominance was another kind of competition: the battle between brands.

From On’s spray-on racing shoe to Adidas’s featherweight carbon racer, the top finishers wore some of the most technically advanced footwear ever seen on a marathon course. Here’s a closer look at each podium shoe, how it works, and what makes it fast.

On Cloudboom Strike LS (Hellen Obiri – 1st, Women’s, 2:19:51)

When Hellen Obiri crossed the Central Park finish line in a course-record 2:19:51, she didn’t just make history, she validated one of the boldest footwear experiments in recent memory. On’s Cloudboom Strike LS isn’t just another carbon-plated racer, it’s built with a spray-on upper applied by a robotic arm in just minutes.

The upper is made using On’s LightSpray technology, which atomizes a polymer solution and “paints” it directly onto a last, eliminating traditional stitching and overlays. The result is a seamless, breathable shell that hugs the foot like a second skin, weighing roughly 30 grams, or about half the weight of a conventional upper.

Underfoot, the Strike LS uses dual-density Helion HF foam, a supercritical compound that delivers higher rebound than standard PEBA blends. A full-length carbon Speedboard and CloudTec pods add snap to the toe-off, while the geometry remains aggressively rockered for efficiency over long distances.

Under Armour Velociti Elite 3 (Sharon Lokedi – 2nd, Women’s, 2:20:07)

Under Armour’s marathon program has evolved dramatically, and Sharon Lokedi’s runner-up finish proved it. The Velociti Elite 3 builds on UA’s early prototypes with a dual-layer beaded HTPU midsole, combining resilience with energy return.

Its stack height of 37.5 mm pushes the World Athletics limit, and a full-length composite plate gives the shoe its propulsive profile. The geometry favors a slightly lower drop, around 6 mm, offering a smoother feel for forefoot strikers.

At around 210 g, it’s heavier than On’s and Adidas’s flagship models, but praised for durability and consistency under fatigue. Lokedi’s finish, just seconds off a course record, cements UA’s place among elite racing brands. Retail price: $250 USD, and notably, available to the public.

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 (Sheila Chepkirui – 3rd, Women’s, 2:20:24)

Adidas remains the most dominant brand on the NYC podium, with five of six medalists wearing its Adizero line. Sheila Chepkirui’s Adios Pro 4 is the latest evolution of the company’s iconic super shoe, featuring EnergyRods 2.0, an internal carbon system designed to mimic the bones of the foot for natural stiffness and rebound.

The midsole uses Lightstrike Pro foam, a resilient and lightweight compound that’s become synonymous with Adidas’s road-racing dominance. The shoe’s geometry was subtly reworked from the Pro 3 for a flatter, more stable ride, offering better handling on the course’s rolling bridges and descents.

At 218 g, it’s slightly heavier than the ultra-limited Evo 2 but built for multiple uses rather than a single all-out effort.

Here’s our dedicated review:

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2 (Benson Kipruto – 1st, Men’s, 2:08:09)

The men’s winner, Benson Kipruto, earned his first New York crown in dramatic fashion, winning by just 0.16 seconds, the closest finish in race history. His shoe of choice, the Adizero Adios Pro Evo 2, is Adidas’s most radical marathon model to date.

Weighing only 138 g (men’s US 9), it’s roughly 40 percent lighter than the Adios Pro 4. The secret lies in an ultra-thin outsole, supercritical Lightstrike Pro Evo foam, and a hollowed-out heel for reduced mass. The latest EnergyRods 3.0 system is fused directly into the foam rather than embedded separately, increasing rigidity while cutting adhesive weight.

With a stack height of 39 mm and a 3 mm drop, the Evo 2 delivers maximum forward roll and energy efficiency. It’s designed for single-use racing, not training, a purpose-built, one-marathon shoe that retails for $500 USD. Few pairs ever make it to public sale, and they rarely stay in stock.

Adidas Adizero Adios Pro 4 (Alexander Mutiso – 2nd, Men’s, 2:08:09; Albert Korir – 3rd, Men’s, 2:08:57)

Just hundredths of a second behind Kipruto, Alexander Mutiso also ran in Adidas, opting for the more accessible Adizero Adios Pro 4. Compared to the Evo 2, it’s built for repeat use, with more foam and a durable Continental rubber outsole.

Rounding out the men’s podium, Albert Korir also relied on the Adios Pro 4, the same model he wore to finish third in 2024. His back-to-back podium finishes underscore both his consistency and the shoe’s reliability.

It’s the workhorse of Adidas’s elite racing lineup, and it continues to dominate World Marathon Major podiums.

Super Shoes and the New Normal

The 2025 NYC Marathon reaffirmed what the past half-decade has made clear, footwear innovation is now inseparable from elite performance. Of the six podium shoes, four feature carbon-fiber propulsion systems, and all push the boundaries of weight and stack height regulations.

For On, Obiri’s win marked a breakthrough, proof that a young Swiss brand can compete with the giants of performance footwear. For Adidas, the day reinforced its dominance, sweeping the men’s podium and claiming five of six total medals.

And for the sport itself, the race signaled that marathon success is now a blend of talent, training, and technology, with the last component increasingly decisive every year.